Dracula Untold

I’d been pretty much looking forward to Dracula. I’d mainly been looking forward to another movie that would feature an appearance by Luke Evans. This guy owns everything that happens in the Middle Ages. It’s simply as if he somehow found himself in this period and couldn’t leave, or rather didn’t want to leave because any time I see him in something, it’s clear to me it’s HIS role. The same thing goes for Vlad the Impaler, whom Bram Stoker borrowed for the Dracula story. But this one is completely different from what you would expect. You see it tells the story of how Vlad became a vampire and I must say that in the realm of fantasy, this is the ultimate feat. I’m surprised that they entrusted this movie to the debuting director Gary Shore, but on the other hand, I must say that he did make a couple of good shots. For instance, Vlad’s first fight; that was a true digital masterpiece. But there were some scenes that made me clench my fists. For instance, the ending, which seemed as if somebody simply decided the movie would end this way and that they didn’t care whether the story would get to it or not. Maybe the movie could have gotten there using the stupidest path… and it did! And there were more moments like this, and it was exactly these moments that pretty much ruined the fantasy world. Despite that, I give a pretty good rating because I really like movies like this and I will be happy to watch it again. (10/29/2014)

A very enjoyable popcorn flick. Luke Evans steals the whole movie for himself and I was rooting for him. The effects and action are top notch, the only thing that hurts is the lack of blood, but it still has something to impress, I was even disappointed that the film doesn't have an extra 20 minutes. The cave scenes evoke a beautifully dark, almost horror atmosphere that made me, as a horror fan, melt with excitement. So for me, satisfaction, I had so much fun that I didn't even have time to think about the logical errors. A beautiful introduction to a new universe. 80%. (10/17/2014)

Dracula Untold is a silly but entertaining flick kept afloat by the well-cast and charismatic Luke Evans. A B-movie script with simple character motivations and barely tolerable catchphrases. But the movie is well paced and playful, the emotions work and the digital effects are of sufficient quality. (10/20/2014)

If Dracula Untol d is the start of a new monster universe, I'm afraid this whole project will fail before it gets off the ground. It made some money, but probably only because vampires still draw audiences. The film itself is incredibly tiresome, easily predictable, and lacks moments that could draw you in. If they had rather attempted another adaptation instead of a similar mess, maybe it would have turned out better. Maybe. (11/10/2014)

Fortunately, it’s not very long, as towards the end it starts to creak. Luke Evans is charismatic, the battle scenes are alright, and the mythology is solid, making it a viewer-friendly and visually undemanding B-movie. I think it offers as much value as it can for the money. Considering that Dracula has been adapted about 10 times already, Evans appears to be one of the best and also most energetic main protagonists. (05/27/2015)